disparate

(dĭs'pər-ĭt, dĭ-spăr'ĭt)
adj.

1. Fundamentally distinct or different in kind; entirely dissimilar: "This mixture of apparently disparate materials-scandal and spiritualism, current events and eternal recurrences-is not promising on the face of it" (Gary Wills).
2. Containing or composed of dissimilar or opposing elements: a disparate group of people who represented a cross section of the city.

[Latin disparātus, past participle of disparāre, to separate : dis-, apart; see dis- + parāre, to prepare.]

disparately dis'pa·rate·ly adv.
disparateness dis'pa·rate·ness n.

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is in regular use in two main meanings, (1) 'essentially different or diverse in kind' (disparate cultures, disparate elements, disparate groups, disparate styles) and (2) 'unequal' (people of disparate ages / countries of disparate size). The first meaning is the more common, although they tend to overlap. Disparate can qualify a singular (usually collective) noun or a plural noun:

Most of the conglomerates which were made up of a disparate collection of businesses have failed—D. Oates et al., 1989

Machines can keep the disparate parts of such a system co-ordinated much better than men can—Economist, 1991.

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adjective

Not like another in nature, quality, amount, or form: different, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, unlike, variant, various. See same/different/compare.

adj

Definition: at odds, different
Antonyms: alike, equal, like, same, similar

IN BRIEF: adj. - Including markedly dissimilar elements; Fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind.

Tutor's tip: Many "disparate" (quite different or distinct) organizations joined together to help the "desperate" (extreme need or hopelessness) flood survivors.

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See words rhyming with "disparate."

Common misspelling(s) of disparate

• desparate

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - væsensforskellig, inkommensurabel, usammenlignelig
n. - væsensforskellige sager/forhold, inkommensurabilia

Nederlands (Dutch)
ongelijksoortig

Français (French)
adj. - disparate
n. - disparité

Deutsch (German)
adj. - ungleichartig, verschiedenartig
n. - unvergleichbare Dinge

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ανόμοιος, διάφορος

Italiano (Italian)
disparato

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - desigual, incomensurável

Русский (Russian)
различный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - dispar
n. - disparidad

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - olik, oförenliga (saker)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
不同的, 异类的, 无法相比的东西

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 不同的, 異類的
n. - 無法相比的東西

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 상이한, 같지 않는
n. - 전혀 비교 대상이 아닌 것

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 異種の, 本質的に異なる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) متفاوت, متباين‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮לא דומה, שונה לגמרי‬
n. - ‮דברים שאינם ניתנים להשוואה‬

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